The Champions League Round of 16 begins on February 11th with four exciting matchups. Brest takes on Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid faces Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund travels to Sporting Lisbon, and PSV Eindhoven hosts Juventus. Let’s preview these opening clashes.
French Derby Opens Round of 16
The first leg of the Round of 16 kicks off with a French derby between Brest and Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade de Roudouroux in Hengam at 7:45 PM CET.
These two sides have already met twice this season in Ligue 1. PSG secured a 3-1 victory in September, despite conceding the first goal, and then dominated Brest 5-2 away in February.
PSG will be without key midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery due to an ankle injury. They’ve also seen departures in the winter transfer window, including Marco Asensio (loan to Aston Villa), Randal Kolo Muani (loan to Juventus), Milan Skriniar (loan to Fenerbahce), and Javi Simons (to RB Leipzig). However, they’ve bolstered their squad with the addition of Kvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli.
Brest will be missing defender Bradley Loco and midfielder Jonas Martin, both sidelined with injuries.
PSG are heavy favorites, with bookmakers offering odds of 1.4 for their win. Brest’s odds are 7.3, and a draw is at 5.1.
Real Madrid and Man City Renew Rivalry
At 10:00 PM CET, Real Madrid, featuring Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, faces Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
These teams last met in the Champions League quarterfinals in April of the previous year. After a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg, the return match ended 1-1, with Real Madrid advancing on penalties thanks to two saves by Lunin.
Over the past five years, these giants have clashed eight times. Real Madrid currently leads La Liga, while Manchester City sits fifth in the Premier League, recovering from a recent slump. Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby, while Man City secured a hard-fought win against Leyton Orient.
Manchester City’s summer acquisitions include Omar Marmush (€75 million) and Abdukadir Husanov (€40 million). They will be without Jeremy Doku, Rodri, and new signing Vitor Reis (€37 million). Real Madrid will be missing several key players including David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rüdiger, and Lucas.
The bookmakers see a very close contest, with Real Madrid at 2.9 and Manchester City at 2.3. The draw is at 3.7.
Borussia Dortmund Under New Management
Borussia Dortmund, now under the guidance of new coach Niko Kovac, travels to the Estadio José Alvalade to face Sporting Lisbon. Their last encounter was in the 2021 Champions League group stage, where each team won their home leg.
Borussia Dortmund currently sits 11th in the Bundesliga after a 2-1 loss to Stuttgart. Sporting Lisbon leads the Portuguese league after a 1-1 draw with Porto.
Borussia will be without Rami Bensebaini and Felix Nmecha. Sporting Lisbon will miss Ginny Katamu, Nuno Santos, and Morten Juhlmann.
Sporting Lisbon has a slight edge with bookmakers, at 2.3 odds. Borussia Dortmund is at 3.05, and the draw at 3.6.
Juventus Welcomes PSV
Juventus hosts PSV Eindhoven at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. Juventus defeated PSV 3-1 earlier this season in the Champions League group stage.
Juventus is fifth in Serie A after a 2-1 win against Como, while PSV is tied for first place in the Eredivisie with Ajax.
Juventus recently signed Randal Kolo Muani (on loan), while PSV acquired Tyrell Malacia from Manchester United.
Juventus will be missing Bremer, Kaljulj, Juan Cabal, Andrea Cambiaso, and Arkadiusz Milik. PSV will be without Olivier Boscaglia, Serginho Dest, Fodé Fofana, Richard Ledesma, Ricardo Pepi, and Malik Tilman.
Juventus is a strong favorite, with odds of 1.9. PSV is at 4.1, and the draw is at 3.5.
